The Cowboy Ethics Code: John Wayne vs. Obama

In 2010, then Governor David Freudenthal signed into law the “Cowboy Ethics Code” here in Wyoming. In essence, it is a way of living that resonates with Wyomingites who for the most part are God-fearing, patriotic, hard-working people. Not to mention we have plenty of “real” cowboys in our state and by real I don’t mean the guys you see at the cool new country bar drinking Red Bull and wearing shiny cowboy hats and fancy, expensive cowboy boots. No, I mean solid, earthy, men of the land who wear cowboy hats because it keeps the sun off their faces and boots because of the yucky stuff they walk in every day. To give you a point of reference, our cowboys are a lot like any cowboy character John Wayne ever portrayed – they have “true grit.”

The Cowboy Ethics Code includes the following:

• Live each day with courage;
• Take pride in your work;
• Always finish what you start;
• Do what has to be done;
• Be tough, but fair;
• When you make a promise, keep it;
• Talk less, say more;
•  Remember that some things are not for sale;

What’d I tell ya’, every John Wayne western ever, right? And you know, looking through the Cowboy Ethics Code I think our president (and democrats in general) could definitely learn a thing or two from it…

Live each day with courage.
This of course should be a given with any president because after all, he is the leader of the free world, yes? That being said, more often than not it seems Obama is hiding behind one of his many mouthpieces or getting overly defensive and petty when faced with adversity. Can you see John Wayne throwing a temper tantrum in front of the whole country?

Take pride in your work.
Obama is always apologizing for America which tells me he has no pride in our country, and in turn, no pride in his work.

Always finish what you start.
He would have to START something for us to know if he’ll finish it… the man has yet to pass a budget and he’s in his fifth year. Side note, did you know the last time a federal budget was passed the iPad had not yet been invented?

Do what has to be done.
Here is one that may work for Obama. Clearly he’ll do what he thinks has to be done, even if we the people don’t want it… let me rephrase that, especially if we do not want it. Gun control, Obamacare, sequestration (sorry libs, it was his idea and his creation) and plenty of Executive Orders thrown in for good measure. I think cowboys were actually referring to facing adversity and doing what has to be done (like riding through a storm with 500 head of cattle) and not abusing an executive power, but I digress.

Be tough, but fair.
If only he would pay more attention to the first part of this statement (be tough) and less attention to the second part (but fair). I will never be able to hear the word “fair” again without throwing up a little in my mouth. He, and democrats like him, have completely destroyed the word for me and many other Americans. And I’m sorry, but does anyone else want him to just man up a little? Be a tad bit tougher? Our enemies clearly aren’t intimidated by his mom jeans in the least.

When you make a promise, keep it.
Do I even need to write something here? Obama wouldn’t know how to keep a promise if it fell out of the sky, landed on his face and started to wiggle.

Talk less, say more.
This is my FAVORITE piece of the Cowboy Ethics Code and one Obama could learn a great deal from. Our president loves the sound of his own voice – he is always happy to give a speech about himself, even if the events on hand have nothing to do with him. Americans deserted and left to die in Benghazi? Obama’s speech used the words “I,” “me” or “my” so many times some media outlets kept count. We all hear him talk a great deal (and talk and talk and talk), but what is he really saying? Does he “say” anything? Or like me, do you just hear the teacher’s voice from Peanuts every time he opens his mouth?

Remember that some things are not for sale.
Freedom, liberty, justice, the Constitution… you know, all those things Obama doesn’t seem overly concerned about.

Perhaps Obama should spend a month or so in Wyoming, learning about things like courage, integrity, and respect. I imagine a cowboy or two would even be willing to take him out on the ranch and teach him what it means to put in a hard day’s work and have pride in what you do. Then again, cowboys don’t typically have time to play golf, so I doubt the president would be interested.